Uttarkashi, Aug. 12 -- Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday directed officials to immediately identify landslide, avalanche and disaster-prone areas in the state's hill districts, warning that no new settlements or construction will be permitted at such sites once they are marked. Chairing a high-level meeting on disaster management and safety in Dehradun, Dhami said both government and private constructions will be prohibited on natural water sources as well as along riverbanks and mountain streams. "Clear guidelines must be issued to all district magistrates, and their enforcement should be closely monitored," he said, adding that strict disciplinary action would be taken against officers who flout these directives. The CM said "preventive measures should be given priority" over reactive steps, and called for "concrete and effective action in public interest" to safeguard vulnerable areas from future disasters. Meanwhile, chief secretary Anand Bardhan on Monday directed Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) director general professor Durgesh Pant to immediately analyse glaciers and glacial lakes in the high-altitude region above Dharali in Uttarkashi, assessing any risks they may pose. He said similar studies should be undertaken across the state's high-altitude zones, with priority given to sensitive locations like Dharali and Rishiganga. Bardhan said the Uttarakhand Space Application Center (U-SAC) will serve as the nodal agency for ongoing monitoring of such areas, coordinating with the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC), Institute of Remote Sensing Satellite (IRSS), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He directed that work on installing sensors for continuous observation of high-altitude lakes be expedited, and that support be sought from the National Institute of Hydrology where necessary. The chief secretary said that areas with potential for the formation or expansion of glacial lakes should be identified and monitored continuously so that advance preparations can be made to prevent loss of life and property in the event of a disaster. In July, the chief secretary had directed the State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) to send an expert team to Himachal Pradesh to study the administrative response and management systems adopted there during recent episodes of extreme rainfall and associated disasters. The CS had maintained that Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh share similar geographical and climatic conditions, making it crucial to understand and learn from Himachal's response to monsoon-triggered disasters. According to officials, since 2012, over 2,853 families from 258 disaster-affected villages in the state have been rehabilitated at safer locations. Uttarakhand is prone to natural disasters that include cloud bursts, landslides, glacier breakages, earthquakes, flash floods and land subsidence. According to experts, such geological and extreme weather events have been happening in the region for millions of years, but now due to the proximity of people to such events, loss to life and property has increased and many changes have been aggravated by climate change. The Himalayas being the youngest mountain chain in the world, which is still rising due to Indian plate folding under the Tibetan plate, the region reports high seismic activity, with most areas falling under Seismic Zones IV and V....